Simon Chilvers

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Simon Chilvers
Born (1939-04-05) 5 April 1939 (age 86)
OccupationActor
Notable work The Dunera Boys
True Believers
Rafferty's Rules
Buddies

Simon Chilvers (born 5 April 1939) is an English-born, Australia-based television actor. [1]

Contents

Early life

Chilvers was born in London in 1939, and discovered art as a young child, drawing images of planes flying overhead during World War II. [2]

He attended Knox Grammar School, in the Sydney suburb of Wahroonga, from 1949 to 1956. [3] Upon leaving school, his parents encouraged him to pursue a career in advertising. Unenthused, he was instead inspired by his grandmother to attend an acting audition, where he was immediately offered a role. [2]

Career

Chilvers started off his career acting for the stage, at the Melbourne Theatre Company, playing roles In productions by Shakespeare, Ibsen and Chekhov. [2]

He went on to appear in television series such as A Country Practice , Prisoner , Homicide and Division 4 . [2] He also played the main role of Sergeant Julian Flicker in drama series Rafferty's Rules . [4]

Chilvers won the 1986 AFI Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Mini Series for his role in the miniseries The Dunera Boys . [5] He was nominated for the same award in 1988 for political miniseries True Believers [6] (in which he played Doctor Evatt), and for the 1983 AFI Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for comedy-drama film Buddies . [7]

Chilvers' acting career was upended in 1996 when he was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis, after experiencing an incident on stage. He gradually became less mobile and eventually his work was limited mostly to narration work in documentaries. [2]

Personal life

Chilvers and his wife Sally met at the ages of 43 and 21, respectively, while working together on a Sydney Theatre Company production of A Happy and Holy Occasion in 1982. Sally was the assistant manager on the production. After conducting a long distance relationship between Melbourne and Sydney, they moved into a flat together in Manly in 1986. [8]

In 1996, Chilvers was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. In 2016, his wife qualified as a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and treats him on a daily basis. [8]

Chilvers has resided in the Sydney suburb of Fairlight for 30 years. [2]

Awards and nominations

YearWorkAwardCategoryResult
1983 Buddies Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated
1986 The Dunera Boys Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Miniseries Nominated
1988 True Believers Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Miniseries Nominated

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1965 Daphne Laureola TV movie
1972 The Man Who Shot the Albatross Feature film
1974 The End Product Dr CardiosTV movie
1974 The Cherry Orchard TV movie
1977 High Rolling Sideshow BossFeature film
1983 Buddles AlfredFeature film
1983 A Descent for Gossips Mr. FindlayTV movie
1984 Annie's Coming Out MetcalfFeature film
1984 The Young Wife Peter BarwineTV movie
1985 The Naked Country Inspector PooleFeature film
1986 Sky Pirates Rev. MitchellFeature film
1986RobberyChief Super. Bill SullivanTV movie
1986 The Big Hurt AlgersonFeature film
1986 Windrider HowardFeature film
1989Home BrewPat DaleyTV movie
1992 Garbo DetectiveFeature film
1992 The Time Game George JohnsonFeature film
1995 Mushrooms InstopFeature film
2004JessicaJudgeTV movie
2005 Hell Has Harbour Views George HancockTV movie

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1983 And the Big Men Fly Harry HeadTV miniseries
1965 The Magic Boomerang
1973-74 Ryan Henderson / Fat man / JoeTV series
1972-75 Division 4 Joseph Cooper / Charlie Gibson / Brent NicholsTV series
1977 Homicide 3 rolesTV series
1976-81 Cop Shop VariousTV series
1983 Prisoner Det. Sgt. Terry FarmerTV series
1983 Five Mile Creek Lord RiversTV series
1983 The Young Doctors Steven KarpTV series
1984 A Country Practice Cameron McPhersonTV series
1984 Waterfront CrossTV miniseries
1984 The Last Reunion Earle PageTV miniseries
1984 The Cowra Breakout Major. HordenTV miniseries
1984 Special Squad MaguireTV series
1984 Eureka Stockade Bishop GooldTV miniseries
1985 The Dunera Boys Col. BerryTV miniseries
1987 The Petrov Affair H.V. EvattTV miniseries
1987 Willing and Abel PisaniTV series
1987 Ground Zero Commission PresidentFilm
1987 The Shiralee ThaddeusTV miniseries
1988 True Believers H.V. EvattTV miniseries
1987-91 Rafferty's Rules Jullian FlickerTV series
1991 Ratbag Hero BaldyTV miniseries
1992 Cluedo Harold FelonTV series
1993 Minder Bill McCabeTV series
1994 The Damnation of Harvey McHugh DouglassTV miniseries
1995 Janus Magistrate. ShearerTV series
1997 Fallen Angels Bernie LevinsonTV series
1999 Big Sky RexTV series
2001 The Farm Phil ReynoldsTV miniseries
2001 Always Greener Charlie ParkerTV series
2003 Changi Father KeoghTV miniseries
2001 Corridors of Power LesterTV series
1999-2007 All Saints 3 rolesTV series
2009Rogue NationChild Judge
2019 Rake AlbertTV series

Theatre

As actor

YearTitleRoleNotes
1961Restless HeartPymble Community Hall, Sydney
1962NoahNSW tour with Pymble Players Inc
1962The Desk Set St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1962 Blithe Spirit CharlesVIC & SA regional tour with Union Theatre Repertory Company
1963 Richard II University of Melbourne with Union Theatre Repertory Company
1963 The Devil’s Disciple Major Swindon
1963 A Cheery Soul Mr Furze
1963 The Man Who Came to Dinner Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with Union Theatre Repertory Company
1963–1964 And the Big Men Fly Commentator / Harry Head Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Arts Theatre, Adelaide, Victorian regional tour with Union Theatre Repertory Company
1964Critic's Choice University of Melbourne with Union Theatre Repertory Company
1964 Hamlet Horatio University of Melbourne, Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with Union Theatre Repertory Company
1964Love Rides the Rails or Will the Mail Train Run Tonight? Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with Union Theatre Repertory Company
1964 The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women
1964 After the Fall
1964Photo FinishSam at Forty University of Melbourne with Union Theatre Repertory Company
1964 Night of the Auk Colonel Tom Russell
1964–1965 A Thousand Clowns Albert Amundson
1965 Present Laughter Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with Union Theatre Repertory Company
1968 The Crucible Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1968 The Magistrate Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Mildura Arts Centre, Broken Hill, King's Theatre, Mt Gambier, Adelaide Teachers College with MTC
1968 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1968 Burke's Company Wright
1968 The Man in the Glass Booth
1970Cat Among the Pigeons Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with MTC
1970 A Doll's House Dr Rank
1970 Philadelphia, Here I Come! Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1970 The Caucasian Chalk Circle Shalva
1970Day of Glory
1970 The Devils
1970Son of Man
1971 All's Well That Ends Well Captain Dumain Octagon Theatre, Perth with MTC
1971 The Government Inspector Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1971 The Philanthropist
1971 King Lear
1971 The Recruiting Officer
1971 Galileo Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with MTC
1971The Contractor
1971 The Man Who Shot the Albatross Major Johnston Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide with MTC
1972 Danton's Death Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1972Macquarie
1972 Sticks and Bones
1972 An Ideal Husband Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Playhouse, Perth with MTC & J. C. Williamson's
1972–1973 The Cherry Orchard Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Perth, Canberra Theatre with MTC
1973 Mother Courage Princess Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1973Batman's Beach-Head Comedy Theatre, Melbourne with MTC & J. C. Williamson's
1973 Paying the Piper Comedy Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1973 Design for Living St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1974 The Doctor's Dilemma
1974 The Removalists Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1974 The Sea
1974 Pericles, Prince of Tyre
1975 Much Ado About Nothing Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with MTC
1975 Thark St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1976 Going Home
1976 Othello Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1977 The Game of Love and Chance Dorante St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1977 The School for Scandal Sir Peter Teazle Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC
1977 The Wild Duck Hjalmar Ekdal
1977 The Merchant of Venice Antonio
1977 Pygmalion Colonel Pickering
1977 Ring Round the Moon Romainville
1978 Breaker Morant
1978DepartmentalSuperintendent Spartan Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1979BodiesMervyn
1979 Macbeth Macbeth Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC
1979 Uncle Vanya Ivan Petrovitch Voynitsky (Uncle Vanya)
1979 The Alchemist Face
1979–1980 Hamlet Claudius / Ghost
1980 Hobson's Choice Henry Horatio Hobson
1980 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Claudius
1980 Privates on Parade Acting Captain Terri Dennis
1981Pete McGynty and the DreamtimeParson
1981–1982 A Cuckoo in the Nest
1982 Minna von Barnhelm Major Von Tellhelm
1982A Happy and Holy Occasion Sydney Opera House with STC
1983; 1986GullsBill Clements Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC & Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney with HMQ Productions
1983 The Cherry Orchard Sydney Opera House with STC
1983 The Maid's Tragedy Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC
1984–1986 Master Class ZhdanovSouth Australian tour, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Melbourne with The Stage Company
1985 Heartbreak House Sydney Opera House with STC
1987 Pericles Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC
1987 A Lie of the Mind Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
1988 And the Big Men Fly Harry Head / Commentator Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1991 The Mikado Singer Sydney Opera House with The Australian Opera
1991Sixteen Words for WaterEzra Pound Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC
1992No Going BackEdvards / Leichhardt Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1992 Diving for Pearls Space Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA
1993 Into the Woods Narrator Sydney Opera House with STC
1993 Coriolanus
1995 Dead White Males Colonel Judd Sydney Opera House, Glen St Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Melbourne, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth with STC

As director

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971The Trial of the Catonsville NineAssistant Director Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1972The TavernDirector
1973–1974 The Last of the Knucklemen Director Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra with MTC
1974 London Assurance Director St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1975 Shindig! Director Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1975The FreewayDirector
1976Old FlamesDirector VCA, Melbourne with MTC
1978 Arsenic and Old Lace Director Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC
1978–1979 The Club Director Playhouse, Perth, Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1980 The Matchmaker Director Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC
1980 The Man Who Came to Dinner Director
1980 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Associate Director
1981 A Man for All Seasons Director
1981 The London Cuckolds Director
1981–1982 A Cuckoo in the Nest Director
1982 Hedda Gabler Associate Director

[9]

Radio (partial credits)

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990On the Still AirEzra Pound ABC Radio [10]
2001Dreams of Hesselmed ABC Radio [11]
2004Last Days of the Coq D'OrReadings from Hansard and ASIO documents ABC Radio [12]
2009No Place Like HolmesWatson ABC Radio [13]

References

  1. Evans, Bob (28 June 1986), "Who is this Simon Chilvers, anyway?", Sydney Morning Herald. Good Weekend
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Future is very Bright!" (PDF). Peninsula Living. 15 January 2013.
  3. "Simon Chilvers". LinkedIn.
  4. "Rafferty's new rules", The Sun Herald , 12 June 1988
  5. "The AFI Awards: Who won", The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 November 1986
  6. "AACTA Awards. Winners & Nominees". AACTA.org. Australian Film Institute. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  7. "AACTA Awards. Winners & Nominees". AACTA.org. Australian Film Institute. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Sally Chilvers: My husband's Simon's MS diagnosis came almost as a relief". University of Queensland. 1 September 2017.
  9. "Simon Chilvers theatre credits". AusStage.
  10. "On the Still Air". Absolute Rhythm: Minor works for radio by Paul Carter. 3 September 1990.
  11. "Dreams of Hesselmed". ABC Radio. 26 January 2001.
  12. "Last Days of the Coq D'Or". ABC Radio. 17 December 2004.
  13. "No Place Like Holmes by Paul Livingston". ABC Radio. 22 November 2009.